Natural Elders and Spiritual Elders
From Kingdom Lessons Four: Daydreams and Night Visions.
Natural Elders and Spiritual Elders in the Body of Christ
Any Christian who lives long enough grows old. They will develop wrinkles, rolls, and gray hair. Male Christians for example, if they live a long life will eventually become a physical elder in the natural. This does not mean that they are spiritual elders possessing the office of an elder. Because of their advanced age, a church board or the host of a home fellowship may bestow on them an honorary eldership, and to an extent, God will honor that selection.
Lev. 19:32
Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.
1 Timothy 5:1-2
1 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;
2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.
We are to honor each other. It is important to honor the elderly. However, this does not mean that all elderly people are spiritual elders.
Now there are verses that talk of a special honor towards spiritual elders.
Hebrews 13:17
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
There are several scriptural rules we must follow to meet the requirements to become a spiritual elder. We must consider all of those requirements. One cannot simply accept one requirement while disregarding another as if sampling one dish of food in a buffet while ignoring the next. We must take all of them into account.
Some older Christian gentlemen just do not have the calling to be a spiritual elder. Others have the calling but have not submitted their lives totally to Jesus and allowed Him to train them and refine their character to the point that may walk in that office.
Recently I was driving through a car wash and seemed to have an impression concerning spiritual eldership. Let’s say that I purchase the basic wash. I pull up into the carwash and see a green light appear above the word “enter.” As I pull forward, my wheel pushes against the tire braces, and the green light dims. The red light and the word stop comes on the illuminated message board. When the basic wash is over, the green “go” message comes on again, as the red “stop” message vanishes. I proceed to the dryer and slowly exit the building. Next week, I purchase the premium wash with the triple scrub, triple wax, underbody flush and second rinse. In addition to the stop and go, and basic wash signs, lighting up in their proper sequence, I also see the lighted signs for the underbody flush, triple wash, triple wax, and second rinse signs light up in each step of the cycle.
If you consider the two car wash cycles carefully, you may see how this illustrates the difference between natural elders and spiritual elders in the body of Christ. When we are natural elders, we may become frustrated and even jealous of others as we enter the carwash. We want all the extra lights to display and yet only the basic wash sequence is activated. We may ride along with another brother the next day and see all the premium features come on in their turn and wonder why it doesn’t seem to work the same way for us. Both “elders” use the same carwash, but only one has paid for the premium ticket. The extra cash paid is equivalent to having the calling to be a spiritual elder and allowing Jesus to refine your character to the point that one walks properly in his office and has a character that befits a spiritual elder.
1 Timothy 3:1-7
1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Paul also discusses the qualifications again in Titus.
Titus 1:6 – 9
6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
Note again that there are several requirements that must be met. Simply being one of the oldest Christians in a group, and desiring to be elevated and honored as an elder, does not mean one walks in that office. One may be a non-drinker, have the gift of teaching, have the gift of hospitality and can say they were only married to one wife. Those are great traits for a Christian, but if one is self-willed, has a temper, fits of envy and is easily offended, they do not meet the qualifications for becoming a spiritual elder. However, in a general sense, it is still good to honor them with the same accord one would with any elderly person.